Big metal shed to chicken coop...?

[Pippin quail]

Your birds won't be feather sexed, so early tail and wing feather development doesn't matter. Pictures, and keep guessing!
Mary

I will try to take pictures of them all later when I move them outside for some fresh air. We'll see if they cooperate.

 

[Chuckie chicken]

Assuming the corrugated metal is a thick enough gauge, here's a pretty simple idea for windows. Cut a single piece of wall out, whatever size works best, and make a 2 x 6 frame covered in hardware cloth that fits inside the hole. Set your frame in the opening, then build a 2 x 2 frame around it on the outside of the wall flush with the 2 x 6. Push the assembly all the way in, then make the same 2 x 2 frame for the inside and push it tight to the inside wall so you've sandwiched the 2 x 6 securely between the two 2 x 2 frames and the wall of the shed. This should cover any edges of the hardware cloth for a neat finish, it will secure your window, and it will provide material at the top of the frame so you can hinge the cut out portion to use it as an awning to control airflow / snow flow / rain flow. You could also make shutters, which would be lighter, but they don't provide any overhang.

 

[Pippin quail]

Assuming the corrugated metal is a thick enough gauge, here's a pretty simple idea for windows. Cut a single piece of wall out, whatever size works best, and make a 2 x 6 frame covered in hardware cloth that fits inside the hole. Set your frame in the opening, then build a 2 x 2 frame around it on the outside of the wall flush with the 2 x 6. Push the assembly all the way in, then make the same 2 x 2 frame for the inside and push it tight to the inside wall so you've sandwiched the 2 x 6 securely between the two 2 x 2 frames and the wall of the shed. This should cover any edges of the hardware cloth for a neat finish, it will secure your window, and it will provide material at the top of the frame so you can hinge the cut out portion to use it as an awning to control airflow / snow flow / rain flow. You could also make shutters, which would be lighter, but they don't provide any overhang.

That sounds like a smart idea. However, I do have a few actual windows that I picked up for free. Two are just windows with no screens, so just for light/heat in the winter when it's sunny. And one is a big sliding window with a screen on one side and one full 6ft sliding patio door. I plan to put the big window and patio doors across from each other somewhat so that if it's really hot we can open them for a nice cross breeze and lots of air flow.. In the winter I really hope the windows will provide sun from any side when it's shining.

 

[MissE]

Oh wow, my husband will be so happy if he doesn't have to worry about insulating. Would you do anything with the inside other than maybe paint with something to protect the metal? It is a bit rusty in some spots, but not too bad. Also we will be cutting out spots for windows and the patio doors, it's just so dark in there. So I guess we would need to put some sort of framing for those...

If I knew for certain then what I know now, I would not have wasted the time or the money on insulation. I still itch thinking about it. I didn't think it needed it. My husband said what can it hurt. Haha, he wasn't the one doing it.

You can paint the metal and them maybe hang curtains if there's an area where the birds may be resting against it, like where they roost. Or even have a piece of OSB, just to keep them from sleeping with their heads against the metal.

Save your cut out pieces for making awnings. You can hinge them on the top and raise and lower as needed depending on the weather. Just don't close them all the way, at least not on all sides or humidity will build up, causing frostbite. Not to mention the ammonia.

 

[Chuckie chicken]

The primary purpose for cutting holes in your building should be to provide ventilation, which you will need year round. Awnings or shutters will be for less than 5% of the time when there's a storm.

As deeply as it would pain me to not use something I got for free, it's got to be the right application. If you do use the windows, the one that opens will still need hardware cloth to be left open at night. Your chickens will appreciate and benefit from the light windows provide, but they will benefit more if it comes through hardware cloth instead of glass.

That sounds like a smart idea. However, I do have a few actual windows that I picked up for free. Two are just windows with no screens, so just for light/heat in the winter when it's sunny. And one is a big sliding window with a screen on one side and one full 6ft sliding patio door. I plan to put the big window and patio doors across from each other somewhat so that if it's really hot we can open them for a nice cross breeze and lots of air flow.. In the winter I really hope the windows will provide sun from any side when it's shining.

 

[Pippin quail]

The primary purpose for cutting holes in your building should be to provide ventilation, which you will need year round. Awnings or shutters will be for less than 5% of the time when there's a storm.

As deeply as it would pain me to not use something I got for free, it's got to be the right application. If you do use the windows, the one that opens will still need hardware cloth to be left open at night. Your chickens will appreciate and benefit from the light windows provide, but they will benefit more if it comes through hardware cloth instead of glass.

I will definitely put hardware cloth on the screened parts to keep predators out. But a window that has to be shut all winter because it's just made of hardware cloth wouldn't be very helpful most of the year. It's winter here like half the year, so my thought is the glass windows will make it sort of like a greenhouse in that it will heat up more during the day than just a big metal building. And I'm not worried about it getting too hot in the summer because there's trees all around it to shade it.. Those trees will lose their leaves as it starts getting colder. Plus there will be a large shady run on the off chance it does get too warm in the summer. I'll definitely have to start a new thread of the conversation once we get started. Hopefully it'll be good.

 

[NatJ]

Openings with hardware cloth for ventilation: sounds good to me.

Glass windows in addition to them: also sounds good to me. As long as you do not reduce the ventilation openings, and you have already planned for the glass windows to be shaded in summer, I don't see any downsides to having them too.

 

[Pippin quail]

Openings with hardware cloth for ventilation: sounds good to me.

Glass windows in addition to them: also sounds good to me. As long as you do not reduce the ventilation openings, and you have already planned for the glass windows to be shaded in summer, I don't see any downsides to having them too.

Yes I told my husband we need about 1sft at least of 24/7/365 days a year ventilation per chicken. And he was shocked and didn't understand. But I'm in charge and told him I'd show him a diagram later. The windows will be in addition to this ventilation.

 

[neo71665]

Windows are nice. I ended up cutting one in mine just for added light. Mine is nothing fancy, just some plexiglass I had and used 2x4s for the frame. They don't open. Just an source of extra light so I'm not wasting electricity.

 

[3KillerBs]

Yes I told my husband we need about 1sft at least of 24/7/365 days a year ventilation per chicken. And he was shocked and didn't understand. But I'm in charge and told him I'd show him a diagram later. The windows will be in addition to this ventilation.

This photo is from an article on cow barns, but it illustrates the ventilation principles nicely.